So sorry for your loss. Anne & I attended many marketing networking events together in the early 2000’s. I was always excited to see her smiling face. She was someone I looked up to when I was starting my marketing/networking journey. Sending love to you all during this difficult time.

When someone dies, people often say “they left an indelible mark on many lives.” In Annie’s case, she left the kind of mark on people’s lives that a meteor creates when it hits earth. I highly doubt anyone who met Annie ever forgot her. She was an unforgettable force for good who embodied love, light, and bravery. And she was funny AF.
When I met Annie in the 90s, the tech community we both worked in was made up of a good old boy network that few women could penetrate. Annie was one of the few exceptions. She used her quick wit, savvy intellect, and authentic charm to get whatever she needed done. These men didn’t even know she had beat them at their own game and she did it while making them laugh along the way.
Annie always stood up for the underdog and causes that needed a voice -- and she gave zero <rhymes with “ducks” starts with “f”> about if she offended anyone. She was the personification of the term “good soul.” Her moral compass always pointed towards doing the right thing no matter what obstacles stood before her. Her determination was unwavering and fierce, as was the love she carried in her heart for those she loved.
I spoke to Annie multiple times after her diagnosis when she had moved into assisted living. The disease may have affected her memory, but it didn’t affect her spirit because a soul lives in the heart not in the brain. Her courage through what she faced was stunning but unsurprising. She was a warrior through it all.
The world became darker when Annie’s light was extinguished and sadly, this is a time when humanity desperately needs more light. I believe we all have multiple lives, and our souls live on. The only joy I feel in knowing Annie is gone is when I imagine the euphoria she felt in finally being reunited with Jacob. Given all the joy she created in so many hearts while she was with us, experiencing that joy is well deserved and long overdue.
I love you Annie.